Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Retail and hospitality workers were applauded over the last two years for helping to keep society running during the pandemic. Does the Taoiseach agree that those workers deserve a raise? Very many of them are on the minimum wage. The minimum wage in this country is a poverty wage. Does the Taoiseach think that is okay? Does he think it is acceptable that someone should work full-time and still be below the poverty line? For example, the average cost of a one-bed apartment in Dublin is around €1,600 a month. A full-time minimum wage worker earns less than €1,700 a month. How can someone be expected to survive on that income? Could the Taoiseach survive on that income? The German Government has announced that it will be increasing the minimum wage to €12 an hour from October. Will this Government do the same? Will it go further and agree with People Before Profit's proposal that we should move to €15 an hour? That is the equivalent of €30,000 a year for a full-time worker. At the very minimum, I ask the Government to accept the motion brought forward by Deputy Barry to have an emergency review of the minimum wage now to ensure that is above the rate of inflation.

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